Join the Debate!
If you love to argue, the Debate team is for you. Set aside your personal opinions and be prepared to make a case for both the "aff" and "neg" sides of numerous topics. Our next league competition is December 14th. Talk to Ms. Winter for team meeting schedule.
Types of Debate
Five debate events offered in our league. Below is a list of events, with a description of each from the national website or state website.
- Lincoln-Douglas (aka LD)
- Parliamentary Debate (aka Parli)*
- Public Forum (aka Pu-Fo or PF)
- Congress
- Policy (aka Cross-Examination, Cross-Ex or CX)
*Parli is not a national event, but our league participates on a state level, with local rules and format. To get a better sense of Parliamentary Debate, visit these reputable websites:
NPDA Rules
Stanford National Forensic Institute
Black Hills State University
APDA Rules
Saint Mary's College of California
NPDA Rules
Stanford National Forensic Institute
Black Hills State University
APDA Rules
Saint Mary's College of California
Terms to Know
Actor = Who It's the person or entity of the resolution.
Abusive = Unfair It's when the opponent's argument, contention, or case is fundamentally impossible to refute.
Aff = Affirmative It's the "pro" side of the debate.
Card = Source Instead of giving the full citation of a source, some debate events allow competitors to cite the "card" which has full citation of the source.
Case = Whole Argument An effective case consists of two or three main contentions, supported by evidence.
Clash = Direct Hit When an competitor directly refutes or questions the validity of an opponent's contention, it's called clash.
Contentions = Main Points Most debate cases are built on two or three contentions. Sometimes contentions are broken into subpoints or subcontentions. Effective debaters notate and refute all of their opponent's contentions. Any contention not refuted by the end of the debate is considered "dropped."
Definitions = Clarification It's common for both sides to define keywords within the resolution before building their case using the stated definitions. If the stated definitions compete, the debate can become what is called a definitions war.
Evidence = Support Contentions are supported by statistics, notable quotes, and reputable studies. The stronger, more credible, and more recent your sources are, the better your case is as a whole.
Flow the Debate = Method of Organizing Notes At the team meetings, students will learn a tried-and-true method of organizing your notes during the debate. Students who understand how to "flow the debate" tend to argue more effectively.
Moving Target = Vague Definitions It's when keywords are defined so broad or narrowly that the opposing team cannot argue against it without changing the stated definition.
Neg = Negation It's the "con" side of the debate
Non-Exclusive = The Same It's when the opponent's case is basically the same as yours.
Low-Point Win = Losing Side Performed Better It's when you win the debate, but receive less speaker points.
Point of Order = Objection When a debate rule is broken, someone might call a "point of order." The offending action must be immediately corrected if possible or the judge might at their discretion dock points.
Road Mapping = Explaining Argument Structure Rather simply stating the case, some competitors explain how they will structure their arguments. For example, "First I'll go over my opponent's contentions and then I'll move onto my own." This type of explanation can help inexperienced judges follow your argument, but if done extensively, it wastes time that would be better spent simply going over the contentions and reaffirming your own case. Limited off-time road mapping (outside the debate times) is now allowed. The general rule is no more than 15 seconds. However, it is usually not necessary, especially when the judge is experienced.
Resolution = What It's the topic you're debating about, always given by the league before the debate. Though it is a statement, the resolution is sometimes called the "question." In Congress, the topic might be a bill or piece of legislation in place of a resolution.
Speaker Points = Personal Achievement Points Speaker points are awarded to students, based on individual performance during the debate regardless of which side won.
Spreading = Talking fast Competitors may lose points for spreading if the judge can't understand what's being said
Tag Teaming = Talking out of turn In two-on-two debates, competitors tag team when both answer questions, even though only one is supposed to.
Utilitarianism = Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of People This is a common weighing mechanism used
Weighing Mechanism = How It's the cue given by competitors in a debate to help the judge decide which side wins.
Abusive = Unfair It's when the opponent's argument, contention, or case is fundamentally impossible to refute.
Aff = Affirmative It's the "pro" side of the debate.
Card = Source Instead of giving the full citation of a source, some debate events allow competitors to cite the "card" which has full citation of the source.
Case = Whole Argument An effective case consists of two or three main contentions, supported by evidence.
Clash = Direct Hit When an competitor directly refutes or questions the validity of an opponent's contention, it's called clash.
Contentions = Main Points Most debate cases are built on two or three contentions. Sometimes contentions are broken into subpoints or subcontentions. Effective debaters notate and refute all of their opponent's contentions. Any contention not refuted by the end of the debate is considered "dropped."
Definitions = Clarification It's common for both sides to define keywords within the resolution before building their case using the stated definitions. If the stated definitions compete, the debate can become what is called a definitions war.
Evidence = Support Contentions are supported by statistics, notable quotes, and reputable studies. The stronger, more credible, and more recent your sources are, the better your case is as a whole.
Flow the Debate = Method of Organizing Notes At the team meetings, students will learn a tried-and-true method of organizing your notes during the debate. Students who understand how to "flow the debate" tend to argue more effectively.
Moving Target = Vague Definitions It's when keywords are defined so broad or narrowly that the opposing team cannot argue against it without changing the stated definition.
Neg = Negation It's the "con" side of the debate
Non-Exclusive = The Same It's when the opponent's case is basically the same as yours.
Low-Point Win = Losing Side Performed Better It's when you win the debate, but receive less speaker points.
Point of Order = Objection When a debate rule is broken, someone might call a "point of order." The offending action must be immediately corrected if possible or the judge might at their discretion dock points.
Road Mapping = Explaining Argument Structure Rather simply stating the case, some competitors explain how they will structure their arguments. For example, "First I'll go over my opponent's contentions and then I'll move onto my own." This type of explanation can help inexperienced judges follow your argument, but if done extensively, it wastes time that would be better spent simply going over the contentions and reaffirming your own case. Limited off-time road mapping (outside the debate times) is now allowed. The general rule is no more than 15 seconds. However, it is usually not necessary, especially when the judge is experienced.
Resolution = What It's the topic you're debating about, always given by the league before the debate. Though it is a statement, the resolution is sometimes called the "question." In Congress, the topic might be a bill or piece of legislation in place of a resolution.
Speaker Points = Personal Achievement Points Speaker points are awarded to students, based on individual performance during the debate regardless of which side won.
Spreading = Talking fast Competitors may lose points for spreading if the judge can't understand what's being said
Tag Teaming = Talking out of turn In two-on-two debates, competitors tag team when both answer questions, even though only one is supposed to.
Utilitarianism = Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of People This is a common weighing mechanism used
Weighing Mechanism = How It's the cue given by competitors in a debate to help the judge decide which side wins.
For more terms you might encounter in debate, check out the Debate Team Documentary.
Prepping for Debate
Our team has a practice debates at the teem meetings - come learn some skills!
Each event has its own set of rules for building a case, preparation and sources allowed. But all the resolutions fit into one of three main categories:
Fact Competitors debate whether the resolution is true and/or exists. No plan is necessary, but any plan presented should be refuted.
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Policy Competitors debate whether a certain action should be taken. The Aff MUST present a plan, which the Neg must refute. Neg may provide a counter plan.
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Value Competitors debate whether the actor is morally obligated to the resolution. No plan is necessary. Feasibility is also not a factor.
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While the internet has resources to give you a general idea on how to build an effective case, talk your event captain for the best prepping strategy and techniques specific to your event.
World Leaders
Knowing the heads of state and governments is important when debating on current issues. Below is a link to the full list: